Astronomy Blog

World Wide Telescope First Impressions

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:03:00 +0100

Update (14/5/2008): Be sure to also check out Dave P's and Ian Musgrave's reviews.

This morning I got news that Microsoft had finally released a "Spring Beta" edition of their World Wide Telescope. It is heralded as the Microsoft version of Google Sky and some have even been in tears when describing it. Does it live up to the hype? Here is my quick review after only a little bit of time to play with it.

The download and install was actually very painless with only the need to install Div X as a minor annoyance. It starts up fairly quickly and the interface is actually quite nice to look at although it could do with hiding the Windows blue title bar. Anyway, here is what it looks like.

The start screen for the World Wide Telescope (with tabs hidden) CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

At the top you can see the menu tabs. Initially these have further options beneath them but I put them on auto-hide to free up so screen real-estate. With the top and bottom information areas this probably doesn't make for a brilliant use of space on a wide-screen monitor. Anyway, you can see that we start at Right Ascension and Declination of zero. The orange lines show the constellation boundary of the currently selected constellation (i.e. where the screen centre is). The green line shows the ecliptic (plane of the solar system). As I've said the interface is fairly nice to look at although can be a little clunky to use.

Let's get into the more exciting parts of WWT namely the ability to show sky surveys from the entire electromagnetic spectrum. This is a feature I've long been wanting in Stellarium or Google Sky (Rob did hack the time slider to do that) and it is nice to see that WWT has been very comprehensive. You can choose from most of the major sky surveys that exist from radio wavelengths up to gamma rays. I'll illustrate it with a WMAP view of the cosmic microwave background.

Changing the sky imagery to WMAP (Cosmic Microwave Background) CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

At this point I'll show the distortions that get introduced if you zoom out too much. This is true of all planetarium software but for projection geeks it might be interesting to see.

WMAP data zoomed out showing projection distortion CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

Now, let's switch to the NRAO's VLA Sky Survey which is well known to radio astronomers. The view below shows one of the brightest (the Sun is the brightest) radio objects in the sky - Cassiopeia A. The crazy pattern around the central object is actually due to the diffraction pattern of the telescopes and are called sidelobes. They are of the same origin as rings and spikes seen in optical telescopes due to secondary reflectors and support legs. It is quite nice to see Cass A in radio in the context of the whole sky.

The NRAOs VLA Sky Survey data showing Cassiopeia A CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

Another nice feature is the search tool. This lets you search the name resolver in Simbad. Type in something like "NGC 884" and it will find the position and take you there. The only complaint I have about moving between objects is that it zooms out fully, then pans, then zooms back in. It would be nice if they did what Google Earth does and pan and zoom simultaneously.

Search with the Simbad name resolver CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

NGC 884 CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

Another feature which is very much like NASA's World Wind and lately Google Earth is the ability to zoom, pan and rotate around other planets. As an example, here is Venus.

Venus CREDIT: Microsofts World Wide Telescope

There are other features such as overlays of HST, Chandra and Spitzer images too but I haven't had chance to explore those yet. You can also connect to your own telescope using ASCOM so there is the possibility to control your observations from WWT too. In summary:

Pros

Looks quite nice
Multi-wavelength all sky surveys
FITS download of images from the DSS
Simbad name resolver search
ASCOM control

Cons

When changing object from a zoomed in view it zooms fully out, moves position and then zooms in. It would be nice to smoothly combine the two like in Google Earth/Sky.
I think I've seen some strange projection effects looking at 2MASS data.
You can't get a full screen view without the menu bar and the top option tabs
(from Alasdair in the comments) The Mac version isn't really a Mac version but a Windows version running under boot camp.

Bugs and improvements I'd like to see

I get flickering of overlay boxes on my Windows XP machine.
There is a possibility of fading between wavelength views (like the option in the web-based Google Sky) but I can't get it to work.
When viewing the Sun it would be nice if it displayed a live image from SOHO (or STEREO).
Update (14/5/2008): In Ian's review he says that there are problems with display when setting your location in the southern hemisphere

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Mercury in the beam

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:52:00 +0100

One of the nice things about my job is working in international collaborations. Most of the time we work by email, Skype and the internet but with people spread across about 130 degrees of longitude that can be awkward. Sometimes you just need to meet up and work face-to-face. So on Tuesday - a day that felt like the start of summer - I travelled to Paris for a three day meeting.

As is becoming a tradition on my blog, I wanted to get an astronomical shot with a famous landmark whilst I had the opportunity. I've previously snapped Saturn from Piazza San Marco (St Mark's square) and Venus next to the Colloseum so it seemed fitting to get another of the planets with a famous Parisian landmark.

Mercury in the searchlight beam of La Tour Eiffel taken on 7th May 2008. Click for the larger version. CREDIT: Stuart

I took this image from my hotel room window on 7th May when Mercury and the Moon were quite close. The quality of my shot isn't brilliant, as I only had my cheap digital camera withme, but it does just pick up Mercury. In this particular shot Mercury is fairly easy to find. Start at the Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel) over to the right-hand side of the image. These days it looks rather like a lighthouse with a rotating searchlight beam. If you follow the beam past the foreground office block you will see a little blob (brightened for the small version of the image so it can be seen). That little blob is Mercury and up to the top left is a slightly over-exposed crescent Moon.

To see hundreds of stunning images of the night sky pictured above famous landmarks all over the world, visit The World At Night website. - source

Trouble with UNITs

Sat, 03 May 2008 20:17:00 +0100

It is nice when somewhere you know gets referenced in popular fiction. I broke into a smile when Jodrell Bank was mentioned by the Colonel from UNIT in this week's episode of Doctor Who - The Poison Sky. Apparently Jodrell Bank had detected a signal 5000 miles above the Earth. I have to say that I am slightly disappointed that UNIT don't use SI units.

In real life Jodrell Bank is a radio quiet zone - it listens rather than transmits - but it does occasionally get referenced in British sci-fi detecting (or failing to detect) aliens. Back in real life, searches for aliens have been carried out at Jodrell Bank for the SETI Institute. That is one of the reasons Jodrell Bank has been referred to as a "real-life Torchwood Institute".

Now, I must go work out how to get perl talking to my sonic screwdriver. - source

Trouble at the top

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:47:00 +0100

In my email this morning was a message of support for UK astronomy from a concerned citizen. Perhaps they had heard an interview on the Today Programme with Professor Brian Cox or seen the news coverage on the BBC, in the Times, in the Guardian and elsewhere. What made this particular Wednesday special is that the Parliamentary Select Committee of MPs that were investigating the STFC funding crisis have just released their report. I haven't had chance to read it myself yet but I hear that it makes interesting reading and is not a whitewash.

Of course, we should remember that Professor Keith Mason probably never wanted the crisis he is presiding over; the problem arises from the merger of PPARC and CCLRC and the subsequent funding settlement that the newly created (and unable to defend itself) STFC received from the Government.

"; in merging two Research Councils, one research community has been saddled with the debt of another, despite assurances from the Government that STFC would be formed without any legacy issues." - Select Committee Report

Of course, the management of the crisis and lack of communication within STFC and the rest of the scientific community is the responsibility of the STFC management. As always, check out Paul Crowther's renowned wesite for the full, gory details about the crisis.

I hope the situation improves soon and everyone can get back to doing some real science. - source

Sky At Night Magazine Podcast

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:27:00 +0100

One of the most popular UK astronomy monthly magazines is the BBC's Sky At Night Magazine (the other is Astronomy Now). The magazine has now launched a new podcast. The first episode includes interviews that Will made in Belfast during the UK National Astronomy Meeting. The free podcast can be found on iTunes, on the Astronomy Media Player and as an RSS feed for those that use other podcatching software. - source

Galaxy Zookeepers Live

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:55:00 +0100

Some of the Galaxy Zookeepers (notably Chris Lintott) are at Kitt Peak Observatory taking observations of some interesting galaxies. You can keep up with their observations on the Galaxy Zoo blog and Chris is also maintaining a twitter feed for live updates. Of course, as I write this, they've gone to bed. It is now morning in Arizona and all good optical astronomers should be sound asleep. Here is the stunning view they get.

View from Kitt Peak CREDIT: Galaxy Zoo Blog

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(Don't) Name a star

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:51:00 +0100

Two years ago I wrote about companies that let you name stars. It is one of the more popular posts on my blog with many finding it after searching for star naming online. Many of the comments I have received on that post are from people who have bought or have been bought 'star names'. They are generally of the view that 'it is only a bit of fun' and think I need to 'chill out'.

My comments on that post were really written from the frustration of having to deal with the fall-out of the star naming business. I get grieving people asking me about the star named after their relative. I try to be a gentle as possible with those people and encourage them to look at the night sky while trying to explain that it is really just a novelty item. People do not like to think that the deep and meaningful gift they've been bought (and they are meant in a deep and meaningful way by the purchaser) was a novelty item. I don't blame them. I hold the star naming companies responsible.

Stuart (no, not me) over at Cumbrian Sky has written an excellent post on star naming. He has had similar experiences to me and really does a good job of explaining why I find it so reprehensible. I encourage you to read the full article. - source

2009 approaches

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:02:00 +0100

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA) is approaching. Many people all over the planet are working on projects that will take place throughout the year and leave a legacy well into the future.

In an attempt to stay positive for 2009 I've decided to put my Save Astronomy banner to one side especially given that nothing is going to change with the UK Government/STFC until the Wakeham Review (now underway) reports back (and even then it may not change anything). Whatever happens to UK-based astronomy, there is still lots to do for IYA.

The IYA coordinating team - composed of astronomers, educators and others from all over the planet - are planning a whole series of cornerstone projects and are encouraging others to plan activities too. If you are in a local astronomical society you may be planning things already. If you are not in an astronomical society or club of some kind, now might be a good time to consider joining one.

There are plenty of cool projects suggested. One involves giving as many people as possible the chance to look at the night sky through a telescope. Part of that involves a "telescope amnesty" to encourage people to dust off telescopes locked up in cupboards or basements and take them to IYA events to allow others to see the beauty of the night sky too. I'll be trying to do some urban guerilla astronomy too.

It's going to be fun. Are you ready? - source